Carbonara

Ingredients

• 320 g Spaghetti
• 5 Eggs
• 150 g Guanciale or Smoked Pancetta, cleaned and cubed
• 35 g Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Method

Carbonara lives or dies on emulsification. The egg yolks and cheese must form a silky, cohesive sauce through the residual heat of the pasta — not scramble into flakes. This demands two things: pasta hot enough to cook the yolk without breaking it, and constant agitation to pull the fat from the guanciale into an emulsion with the egg and cheese.

Start the guanciale first. Cut it into 1 cm cubes and render it slowly in a large pan over medium heat. You want the fat to turn golden and the meat to crisp at the edges whilst staying chewy in the centre — roughly 8–10 minutes. The rendered fat is non-negotiable; this is your emulsifying agent. If using smoked pancetta instead, the cooking time shortens to 5–6 minutes and you'll need a splash of extra virgin olive oil to compensate for the lower fat yield.

Separate your 5 eggs into yolks only — whites add nothing but water and risk overcooking. Whisk them with the 35 g grated cheese (Pecorino Romano is the Roman standard, saltier and more assertive than Parmigiano-Reggiano) and cracked black pepper. The mixture should be pale and uniform. Salt your pasta water generously — this is your only seasoning opportunity for the starch. Cook the spaghetti until al-dente, typically 1–2 minutes before the packet says. It will finish cooking off the heat.

Drain the pasta, reserving a mug of cooking water. Tip it into the pan with the guanciale off the heat. Working quickly, stir constantly for 2–3 minutes. The residual heat will cook the yolks into a glossy, emulsified coating. If the mixture seems too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a sauce-like flow. If it looks grainy, the pan was too hot when you added the eggs — next time, let it cool 30 seconds first.

Plate immediately. A final grating of cheese is optional; a crack of pepper is traditional. Serve before the sauce splits.